


Heat and Heartache

by BlueFenris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, M/M, Omega Eren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-22 06:04:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3717907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFenris/pseuds/BlueFenris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world that bars omegas from entering the military--punishable by death--Eren Yeager isn't content to accept the place he's been told to. After the fall of Wall Maria, the disarray and loss of records allow Eren to assume the identity of a beta, allowing him to join the military. Once he does, he realizes hiding his identity will be more difficult than he thought, especially around Captain Levi, the alpha Eren finds himself drawn to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This prologue is set around 70 years before the events of the story. It explains the situation that led to the strict laws controlling omegas. It was supposed to be briefer than it is, but the characters I created for it demanded it be written this way. This is the only chapter that will have significant OC's.

It had always been a taboo for an omega to join the military. Omegas were wives and mothers, not fighters. The military had ran with this unspoken law for years and had done just fine. But Angelo was not fine with this. Angelo was unlike most omegas in that he prided himself on having a backbone. He had never been affected as badly by alpha pheromones as most of the other omegas he’d met. This had made Angelo quite arrogant as he grew up, and he would regularly get in fights with the alphas that were oh so touchy about not being able to dominate him. Angelo’s father had been much the same way, so it was only logical that he was in the military. Angelo shared his father’s hubris. His father had joined the Scouting Legion for the added chance of glory against the titans. But alpha or no, his father had been just a man. He was just twelve when his father fell.  
The day that the Scouting Legion officer had come to their home and told them the grave news of their husband and father’s death, Angelo had run as quickly as he could. He had hidden in an alley behind a pile of trash so that no one would see him crying. But even the stink of the rotting garbage was not enough to mask his stressed omega scent. The strong pheromones escaping the sobbing boy eventually attracted an alpha, and sadly for Angelo it was the wrong kind of alpha. That was the day that he learned that all omegas, even him, could be taken advantage of and then left to cry in pain. It was also the day that he swore two things. First: Angelo would avenge his father and exterminate every last titan; second: he would prove to the world that omegas were not lesser beings to be used as alphas pleased.   
Four years later Angelo joined the Scouting Legion. He had been met with resistance at first, but there was no official law explicitly stating that omegas were barred from entering the military. So Angelo joined. He worked twice as hard as the alphas to prove his worth and quickly rose to the top. Angelo had become an inspiration for omegas all across the kingdom. But the omegas weren’t the only attention he received. His name was Antony and he was kind and sweet, bound by his sense of honor and justice. Angelo and Antony quickly fell in love and became a bonded pair.   
For the next two years life was wonderful. Angelo had achieved everything he had always wanted and been told he could not have. But one night everything changed. It had been a particularly grueling training session that day, and Angelo had been thrown to the ground more than once. He had fallen asleep beside Antony that night, sore but at peace. In the middle of the night, he woke up with a sharp pain in his stomach. Antony woke up when he smelled the pain and fear rolling off of his mate in thick waves. He looked down and gasped when he saw the dark marks all over the sheets. Blood.   
Angelo was rushed to the infirmary where they discovered that he had had a miscarriage of a child he didn’t even know he was pregnant with. The couple sat on the bed in each other’s arms. Angelo was sobbing. The nurse spoke with the Commander of the Scouting Legion in hushed tones, but Antony caught snippets of the conversation.   
“...children are our most precious resource...irresponsible to put himself in such a situation...punishment is due…”  
Antony held his mate close, rocking slightly. The scent of fear in the room slowly lessened. Finally the Commander strode over to them.   
Antony couldn’t hold back the slight growl that escaped him, his arms tightening around his mate protectively. The Commander gave him a sharp glare that had even the alpha cowering. He just looked at them for a moment, seeming as if he didn’t want to say whatever he had to say next. After a few more moments of hesitation, he opened his mouth, “You both know that children are humanity’s most important resource. Without new lives, humanity would quickly go extinct. Because of this, it’s a very sad, grave matter when the life of a child is lost, especially before even being born. It’s an even more pressing matter when the loss of that life was entirely preventable. A situation such as this has never happened before, so we are not sure how to handle this. Being discharged as a soldier is the very least that should be done. But until we decide how far this requires for punishment, Angelo Marc, you are being placed under arrest.”  
Angelo let out a soft sob and Antony tightened his grip around his mate tightly, growling at the soldiers that moved toward them to pull them apart now. Angelo clung to his mate, sobbing loudly now. He screamed out as they ripped him from Antony’s arms. It took five soldiers to hold Antony back.   
Angelo was put in a cell to be held until they decided what to do with him. Antony was not permitted to see his mate during the week that discussions on a proper punishment were taking place. Only once a punishment had been decided did they allow him to go to Angelo. His eyes were filled with tears, and Angelo was not stupid. The tears were all he needed to see.   
“Antony… I’m being put to death, aren’t I?”  
Antony let out a soft sob as he nodded, rushing across the cell to pull his mate into his arms. “I-I’m so sorry, Angelo… Nothing I could say would change their minds… They… They want to make an example out of you. Like you’re not human just because of your type…”   
“Shh… Antony… It’s okay… Don’t cry. I’m not afraid,” he said. Though they both knew that was a lie. The fear was rolling off of him in thick, sickening waves. “Don’t blame yourself, I know you are. It isn’t your fault. This is sad, but everything will be okay… Live on, Antony. Find happiness again when I’m gone…”  
Antony shook his head. “No! I won’t love another after you… I could never love anyone the way I love you… And why are you just giving up! How are you so calm, don’t you see that this is not okay? Nothing will ever be okay without you!”   
Angelo had tears running down his own face now, and he clung tightly to his alpha. “I know… I’m so sorry… I-if only I had known! Then I could have been careful… Oh god… Antony, I’m scared… So scared…”  
Antony gathered him into his arms, just holding him and whispering reassurances to him until Angelo fell asleep in his arms. They were allowed this one last night together, but in the morning they were awoken by a loud creaking noise as the door to the cell was opened. The soldier who had come for Angelo looked sympathetic and apologetic. “It’s time…”  
Angelo slowly untangled himself from Antony’s arms. Neither wanted to let go, but their time was up. Angelo kissed Antony one last time, and then followed the soldier. Antony couldn’t bring himself to go to the public execution. He couldn’t watch the love of his life be murdered for doing nothing wrong but dreaming of a life beyond being a bearer of children.   
Angelo was executed at 9:13 that morning. Every omega who had followed his footsteps and joined the military was discharged. The hope that had swept through the omegas died with Angelo, and the omegas slowly sunk back into the position they had always been in before they dared to dream. The execution of Angelo led to a spike in aggression towards omegas that was higher than any the world had ever seen. Any omegas who refused to submit again were beaten until they submitted or died. Over 600 omegas were killed in the months following the execution. Antony spent his time trying to defend omegas from those who would harm him. He was trying to keep the memory of Angelo alive in the only way he could. Eventually his kind acts led a group of murderous alphas after him, and he joined his mate in death. Angelo’s Law was passed, stating that no omegas were permitted to join the military or question their place in society. Angelo’s dreams of bringing omegas to greatness had done nothing more than push them further down.


	2. Everything Will Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can tell them I’m a beta!” Eren told Mikasa and Armin, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He looked to his friends, his grin slowly disappearing as he saw their concerned expressions. Armin looked at Mikasa, as if saying, “You tell him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this has taken so long! Updates might be more often after school gets out soon, but sometimes I just go for a long while where I don't have any freaking inspiration to write at all!

Eren had always been outspoken for an omega. When he was growing up, Mikasa had saved him several times from doing stupid things. One of the most common threats was the group of alpha boys who had taken it as their personal duty to make Armin’s life hell. Eren was extremely protective of his friend, and would challenge the bullies whenever they tried to hurt Armin. The small blond was never in as much danger as the omega though. Armin was a beta, and although the boys were alphas the urge to dominate a beta was not as strong as the urge to dominate and claim an omega. There was always the danger that his omega friend would wind up being assaulted in a different way by the alphas, but Eren insisted on taking that risk to protect Armin.

Luckily, there was Mikasa. As an alpha, she was better prepared to challenge the bullies. They were smart enough not to accept the challenge she offered and ran scared every time she came.

After one of these episodes, Eren was picking himself up off the ground, dusting himself off. His expression looked particularly sour today since Mikasa hadn’t quite gotten there in time to stop the boys from shoving Eren around a little. “I hate being a stupid omega!” he yelled, loud enough to scare away the rats foraging in a nearby garbage heap.

Armin and Mikasa both turned their heads to quickly look at him, but it was Mikasa who spoke. “Eren, watch your volume! You know damn well that they can arrest you for saying things like that.”

Eren crossed his arms, a sullen look on his face. “All because of that stupid Angelo’s Law. Why do all omegas have to suffer just because something bad happened once?”

Armin spoke up now. “Eren, it’s because his loss of a child was entirely preventable…”

Eren’s gaze darkened as his friend said that. “So pass a law that omegas in the military can’t take a mate, but don’t us all from joining or even complaining about it!”

Mikasa sighed. “You know that isn’t going to happen. They think an omega’s only contribution to mankind is new lives. They aren’t going to pass a law that makes it acceptable for an omega to not bear children.”

Of course Eren knew Mikasa was right. Mikasa was always right, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “That’s a stupid way to think… I just won’t have any kids.”

“Eren, your marriage will be arranged… Omegas don’t choose and you know this.”

“Angelo once made his choice. I’ll make mine too!”

* * *

 

It was only a few days later that Shiganshina fell, and the world was changed forever.

* * *

 

After the fall of Wall Maria, all type records from outside of Wall Rose were lost. Officials were sent out to survey the refugees and rebuild the records that had once been so meticulous. When Eren heard of the rebuild, he was overjoyed.

“I can tell them I’m a beta!” Eren told Mikasa and Armin, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He looked to his friends, his grin slowly disappearing as he saw their concerned expressions. Armin looked at Mikasa, as if saying, “You tell him.”

Eren sighed. “What? What’s wrong with that? There’s no way for them to check the old records. How will they know any different?”

Mikasa’s glare intensified, and Eren cowered instinctively. That’s when he realized what their apprehension was centered around. “You don’t think I can stand up to an alpha…”

Armin chimed in with, “Omegas also have a different scent, Eren. They’ll smell you from a mile away…”

“Isn’t there a certain type of herb that suppresses the type pheromones? We can find some of that, and I can practice controlling my reactions to alphas with Mikasa. I refuse to just be some poor little omega all my life.”

Armin and Mikasa shared another long look before sighing simultaneously and turning their gazes to Eren. Mikasa was the one who spoke this time, “Fine, Eren. We’ll help you.”

* * *

 

Over the next week, Armin went off on his own to search for the herbs while Eren trained with Mikasa. Being defiant was nothing new to Eren, but normally his defiance was short lived once Mikasa stepped in after angry alphas threatened her brother. If Eren wanted to make it in the military he would have to hide all of his instinct driven reactions to the alphas. A beta, as he was claiming to be, would be somewhat submissive to an alpha but it would be nowhere as severe as an omega driven by forces beyond their control.

One of the most difficult exercises they did was eye contact. Eren was getting the hang of almost everything else, but he couldn’t stare Mikasa down very long before he turned his gaze down, an act of submission that would be a clear sign of his type.

“This is completely unfair! Even other alphas can’t look you in the eyes, Mikasa!” Eren complained after one more defeat. They had been working at this all morning and he was nowhere closer to convincing anyone that he was not an omega.

“In the military there will be alphas that are more difficult to defy than me, Eren. If you want to join the Scouting Legion, you do realize you’ll have to take orders from Captain Levi Ackerman and Commander Erwin Smith, right? There will be other alphas that you’ll have to listen to without submitting, but they’ll be the most difficult. The way you’ve always admired Captain Levi… Are you sure you can control yourself around him, Eren?”

Eren’s cheeks flushed and he crossed his arms in indignation. “So what if I’ve admired him for a long time? It’s not like I’m going to go into heat and rip my clothes off just from being in the same room as him!”

Mikasa sighed. “Eren, you know that’s not what I meant. I’m just worried. Do you really blame me?”

At that moment Armin came rushing into the room. “I finally found the herbs! There’s a patch of them growing nearby here! I don’t think anyone else has found them yet, though. I took as much as I could. It should last for a while.”

Eren looked up at Armin, breaking into a wide smile. “I knew I could count on you, Armin! How does it work?”

Armin blushed slightly at the praise before beginning to explain that the herb needed to be made into a tea that Eren would have to drink once a week. “I have to warn you… Everything I’ve heard about it says that it’s not the greatest taste…”

Eren just waved his hand in a dismissing fashion. “Taste doesn’t matter, so long as it does what it’s supposed to. Come on, let’s make this tea. They might come to record our types any day now, I don’t want to risk them coming before I’ve started taking the herb.”

Armin nodded and went to grab the tea kettle. “Make a fire so we can boil the water, Mikasa,” he said as he came back in the room. Mikasa nodded and rose, setting to work on building a fire. Eren was fidgeting in his seat.

“How long does it take to make?” he asked. The last thing he wanted was for the official to come knocking on their door while they were in the middle of making the concoction. Eren was well aware that what he was doing was in fact very, very illegal. The higher ups did not take kindly to anyone undermining their authority, let alone an omega. Being tricked by an omega would be a disgrace to them, and if he was caught, they wouldn’t hesitate to execute him. It would only be more dangerous once he had joined the Survey Corps. He would be surrounded by the most intimidating alphas he had ever faced. His instincts would be hard to fight. And then there would be Captain Levi Ackerman.

Eren had always admired the man, but it wasn’t a crush as Mikasa seemed to believe. It was simple admiration for his skills. At least, that’s what Eren always claimed. He even forced himself to believe that his knees only went weak at the thought of the older man because he admired him. There was no attraction. Eren wasn’t going to allow there to be any sort of attraction.

Armin watched Eren with a knowing look on his face for a moment before he tapped his friend on the shoulder. “Eren, you need to be careful not to get lost in thought so much. Distraction leads to mistakes. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you, Eren. You’re the closest thing to family I have left.”

Eren knew he was right, but he forced a bright smile onto his face, trying not to show the fear that was threatening to creep through the cracks forming in his resolve. “I know, Armin. You’re like family to me, too. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m more headstrong than most omegas, I’ll be able to pass as a beta without any issue!”

Mikasa looked up from the newly started fire and fixed her serious gaze on Eren. “Bravado will be dangerous too, Eren. You need to control yourself and follow orders. If you challenge orders, they’re only going to become more intimidating. You crack under the pressure of defying me, just imagine how difficult it will be when that captain you admire so much is glaring at you.”

Eren swallowed past the lump in his throat, and forced out a harsh, “I’ll be fine, you guys! Damn, it’s like you don’t even believe in me at all!”

He knew that might have been a bit too harsh when he saw a flash of hurt cross Armin’s features. “We’re just worried about you Eren! Is it so bad to be scared of losing a friend? What if it was one of us pulling this little stunt instead? Wouldn’t you be scared?”

Any comeback Eren might have had died on his lips. “I-I’m sorry… I haven’t really thought about the effect this has on you guys…”

If he was caught and it was discovered that Armin and Mikasa had been accomplices, they would probably share his punishment. Eren faltered for a moment as he thought of his friends being killed because of his selfishness and stubbornness.

After a moment he continued, “I’ll be careful, guys. I’m not going to get caught. I promise. Everything is going to be okay.”

Mikasa’s eyebrows scrunched with sudden anger. “Eren, don’t make promises you can’t keep!” She got up suddenly and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.

Eren and Armin sat still in shocked silence. After a moment Armin moved to start making the tea. Eren stared at the door Mikasa had slammed. Everything would be okay. He just had to force himself to believe it.


End file.
